Recap Roundup: 2015 World Championship Prelims

by
Michael Boo

On Thursday, August 7, all International Class, Open Class, and World Class corps came together for the only time this season, competing at the DCI World Championships Prelims in Indianapolis at Lucas Oil Stadium. The top 25 corps advance to Friday’s Semifinals competition.

The top six corps broke 90 points, with the top 15 corps all breaking 80.

Carolina Crown (1st - 96.475) was 1st in Total GE by 0.70 over Blue Devils, the next highest GE corps. At this stage, that’s a fairly healthy spread in GE. Crown was also 1st in Color Guard and Brass, 2nd in Music Analysis, 3rd in Visual Proficiency and Visual Analysis, and 5th in Percussion, just 0.05 ahead of Blue Knights’ line. Despite the Percussion score, the corps was only 0.30 under Cadets in Total Music.

The Cadets (2nd - 95.475) was 1st in Music Analysis, 2nd in Visual Proficiency and Brass, 3rd in Percussion, and 4th in Total GE, Visual Analysis, and Color Guard. Total Music took 1st, somewhat muting the effect of taking 4th in Total GE and Total Visual.

Bluecoats (3rd - 95.425) was 1st in Visual Analysis, 3rd in Total GE, Color Guard, and Music Analysis, and 4th in Visual Proficiency, Brass, and Percussion. The corps was 3rd in Total GE and Total Visual, and 4th in Total Music, 0.50 under the Total Music-winning Cadets.

Blue Devils (4th - 95.350 after a 0.50 penalty for a warm-up infraction) was 1st in Visual Proficiency, 2nd in Total GE, Visual Analysis, Color Guard, and Percussion, 3rd in Brass, and 4th in Music Analysis. Without the penalty, the corps would have placed 2nd by 0.375 over Cadets, but would still have scored 0.625 under Crown.

Santa Clara Vanguard (5th - 93.300) was 1st in Percussion and 5th in every other caption, plus all three Total captions. SCV seemed to be on a scoring island all to themselves, 2.05 under BD and 2.75 over Blue Knights.

Blue Knights (6th - 90.550) took 6th in Total GE and all three Music captions, was 8th in Visual Analysis and Color Guard, but 11th in Visual Analysis. The corps stayed in the top-six by barely a point over Phantom Regiment.

Phantom Regiment (7th - 89.525) was 8th in Percussion, 11th in Color Guard, and 7th in all other captions. Regiment scored 1.025 under Blue Knights and 1.375 over Madison Scouts.

Madison Scouts (8th - 88.15) was 6th in Visual Analysis, 8th in both GE captions and Music Analysis, 9th in Brass, and 10th in Visual Proficiency, Color Guard, and Percussion. Cavaliers scored only 0.075 behind.

The Cavaliers (9th - 88.075) was 6th in Visual Proficiency, 8th in Visual Analysis and Brass, 9th in both GE captions, Music Analysis, and Percussion, and 12th in Color Guard. The corps maintained a 1.875 lead over Boston Crusaders.

Boston Crusaders (10th - 86.200) was 7th in Color Guard, 9th in Visual Proficiency, 10th in Total GE and all three Music captions, and 12th in Visual Proficiency. The corps was closer to the Blue Stars than Cavaliers, leading Blue Stars by 0.75.

Blue Stars (11th - 85.450) were spread over a wide range of placements, from 7th in Percussion to 15th in Visual Analysis. A 9th-place finish in Color Guard was followed by 11th in Total GE and Music Analysis and 12th-place finishes in Visual Proficiency and Brass. A 1.05 lead over Crossmen and a 1.875 lead over 13th place Troopers seems to give the corps some breathing room.

Crossmen (12th - 84.400) was 6th in Color Guard 11th in GE 1 and Visual Proficiency, and 13th or 14th in all other captions. A spread of 0.825 over Troopers is fairly healthy as far as most cut-offs go for Finals, but is not insurmountable.

Troopers (13th - 83.575) was 10th in Visual Analysis, 11th in Brass, and between 12th and 15th in all other captions. Both GE captions and Percussion placed 12th, giving the corps four captions among the top 12 and four out of the top 12.

Colts (14th - 82.750) was 9th in Visual Analysis and 12th in Visual Analysis, but between 13th and 16th in the remaining six captions. The corps finished 0.825 under Troopers and 1.65 above The Academy, the exact same spread separating Colts from 12th place Crossmen.

The Academy (15th - 81.100) took 13th in Music Analysis, 18th in Color Guard, and 14th or 15th in all other captions. The corps enjoyed a healthy 2.675 lead over Vanguard Cadets.

Vanguard Cadets (16th - 78.425) took 14th in Color Guard and 16th through 19th in the remaining captions. Had Oregon Crusaders not had a penalty, Vanguard Cadets would have placed 17th by 0.375 under OC.

Oregon Crusaders (17th - 78.300 after a 0.50 penalty for a warm-up infraction) was 15th in Percussion, 16th in both GE captions and Brass, and 17th through 19th in everything else.

Spirit of Atlanta (18th - 77.950) was 16th in Visual Analysis, 20th in Color Guard, and 17th through 19th in the remaining captions.

Blue Devils B (19th - 77.050) took 16th in Color Guard, 17th in Percussion, and 18th through 20th in the remaining captions.

Mandarins (20th - 77.025) was 17th through 20th in all captions.

Pacific Crest (21st - 74.175) scored between 21st and 23rd in all captions.

Genesis (22nd - 73.450) placed 21st or 22nd in all captions, except for 26th in Music Analysis.

Spartans (23rd - 71.775) was 23rd in Total GE and Total Visual, and 26th in Total Music.

Cascades (24th - 71.100) was 24th in Total GE and Total Music, and 27th in Total Visual.

Legends (25th - 70.750) just nudged 7th Regiment by just 0.075 to place in the corps’ first Semifinals show ever. Legends topped 7th Regiment by only 0.05 in Total GE, lost Total Visual by 0.25, and won Total Music by 0.275.